Lovely Warren

Rochester: A Beacon of Hope

Video Description:

Many of us are lifelong Rochesterians and for many of us, this city is the place where generations have chosen to put down roots. Mayor Lovely Warren, shares her personal experience of family growth and change in a city that is still evolving.

Lovely Warren was sworn in as Rochester’s 67th mayor on January 2, 2014. She is the first female mayor in the history of the city, the second African-American mayor, and the youngest mayor in modern times.

Mayor Warren’s goals are to improve educational outcomes for city students, increase economic development, improve public safety and community/police relations and address the stark economic disparities that plague many parts of the city.

Noting that improving educational outcomes is at the crux of many of the Rochester's most pressing challenges, Warren has made education a focal point of her tenure. She frequently visits the city’s schools to interact with students and encourage them to stay in school and reach for the stars.

One of Mayor Warren’s first actions upon taking office was the formation of an Early Learning Council to support the success of Universal Pre-K in Rochester. Based on the recommendations of the Early Learning Council, Mayor Warren launched the 3-to-3 Initiative. The goal of the initiative is to give every 3-year-old in the city of Rochester the opportunity to develop the academic and social skills necessary to succeed in school and in life by the time that 3-year-old completes 3rd grade.

Mayor Warren has also placed a strong emphasis on improving community/police relationships. She reorganized the Rochester Police Department (RPD) into a 5-section model that emphasizes smaller police beats, and building personally relationships between the officers and the communities they serve. The new community policing model will be fully implemented in early 2015.

Prior to becoming Mayor, Warren was elected to the Northeast District seat on City Council in 2007. In 2010, she was elected by her colleagues to serve as City Council President -- making her the youngest City Council President in Rochester’s history.